THE BIG COOK UP

As a global leader in dairy processing, we have a responsibility to demonstrate good corporate citizenship in everything we do which extends beyond our organization and into the communities in which we operate. It’s the reason we look for opportunities to partner with local organizations that help feed those in need, while also encouraging our employees to become actively engaged in our communities. For us, a brighter future, is a healthier future – for our people and for our communities.

Every month, 137,000 people in Montreal are in need of food donations. So, on December 7th, 2017, we launched the first ever edition of our new community engagement program: The Big Cook Up. With the help of over 300 passionate Saputo employees from the Greater Montreal area who volunteered their time (984 hours to be exact), we cooked up an event to ensure families in need of a little extra help received a delicious, hearty and healthy meal.

By transforming cafeterias in three of our offices (Saint-Léonard, Crémazie, and Saint-Laurent) into community kitchens, we were able to successfully prepare over 850 lasagnas (or 7,000 meals) for families in need, with over $8,000 in Saputo product donations.

The event was made possible with the help of our long-time partner and not-for-profit organization, La Tablée des Chefs, whose expert chefs created the healthy lasagna recipes inspired by our Italian heritage, and who guided our employees through the culinary experience ensuring everything went smoothly and ended up tasting delicious. Together, we carefully prepared and delivered vegetarian and meat lasagnas to 6 organizations within Québec: MultiCaf, Centre de Ressources et D’Action, Communautaire Petite-Patrie, Mouvement Fraternité Multi-Ethnique, La Corbeille Bordeaux, Centre communautaire CEFEDI and Sésame who distributed them to people in need across the city.

Not only was the experience a resounding success based on the quantity of meals prepared and delivered across these 6 organizations, but it also left a lasting impression on our employees who, following the event, expressed an increased sense of pride in working at Saputo and desire to participate in future volunteer opportunities. And so, given the success of the first event, we plan to grow the program both in size and scope in 2018 by holding a Big Cook Up at other Saputo locations both in Canada and the US.

We are energized by supporting the creation of a future where all members of our community have the opportunity to live a healthy, active lifestyle and know that our culture, values, people and product, make up the right ingredients to serve up a lasting impact in our communities.